


Building to Begin

by Kitty_KatAllie



Series: Do You Believe in Fairies? [15]
Category: Harvest Moon: Animal Parade
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eavesdropping, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Julius being Julius, Poor Gill had his chapter usurped by this melodrama crap, drama! soap opera drama!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22109077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitty_KatAllie/pseuds/Kitty_KatAllie
Summary: Fourteenth Timestamp: Gill’s EventTakes place during Ch38 "Problems that Persevere" || She was holding most of her hair back to leave her ear closest to the door free, but she lifted her free hand to press a finger to her lips and hiss a quiet 'sh' in warning. Gill raised an eyebrow, but slunk against the wall and strained to hear the conversation. It was a bit of Castanet history about to come to a final conclusion. Surely his duty was to referee the outcome— if necessary.
Relationships: Candace | Kotomi/Luke the Carpenter (Harvest Moon), Luna | Ruumi (Harvest Moon) & Candace | Kotomi (Harvest Moon), anti-Julius/Candace (Harvest Moon)
Series: Do You Believe in Fairies? [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/508629
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Building to Begin

Usually, Gill was an early riser, and he had a strict routine every morning. First, the alarm went off at six, then he had a cup of coffee standing in the kitchen. Ten minutes later, he’d head to the shower, brush his teeth, get dressed in a carefully selected outfit set out the night before, and finally brush his hair perfectly… until that damnable cowlick dried. By seven o’ clock, Gill would slide wheat toast on a plate, cut a grapefruit, and sit down to breakfast with a second cup of coffee. He had the entire morning scripted to a tee, and he’d be at Town Hall by 8.

The alarm went off at six o’clock that day as usual. However, the unbearable _noise_ continued. It took several long mind-boggled moments for him to realize that the alarm he was staring and blinking at _wasn’t_ making the noise. He stumbled to his feet, tripped on the blanket he’d somehow dropped to the ground, ran into the doorjamb, and lastly stubbed his toe on the door that didn’t open fast enough.

Wincing and cursing (and ignoring his father’s chuckles from the kitchen), Gill grabbed the phone.

“Goldstein residence, Gill spe-”

“Yes, yes, I know who I’m calling. What took you so long?” asked a familiar voice impatiently.

“L-Luna- I mean, Ms. Snyder?!” Gill stammered.

“Of course! Were you expecting someone else?”

“I wasn’t expecting _anyone_ to call at 6 a.m. in the morning!” Gill retorted. He stopped to rub his eyes and hold back the groan.

“Don’t be redundant. AM is already in the morning,” Luna said in exasperation. “Besides, I’ve been up for over an hour.” 

“Why?” Gill blurted. He winced, but thankfully an amused huff met his ear. “I’m sorry, is there something-”

“Yes, exactly. I need a favor. You’ve finally caught up,” Luna said briskly. “You need to be here, at Sonata, by _9 a.m._ Be prepared to praise that Carpenter oaf’s work as believably as possible while my sister and I are in the room. Then, give him a commission.”

“Wait… you want me to _what_?”

Luna sighed roughly. “I don’t have much time, Candace could come home at any minute. So, _pay attention and catch up_.”

“I’m paying attention, I’m just not _understanding_ ,” Gill said dryly. There was a twinkle of real laughter that had him smiling. It reminded him of summers long gone in the best way. He smiled wider and with utmost relief when his father appeared at his elbow and handed him a hot cup of coffee.

“Look, I know that… that bumbling stork makes Candace happy, but I have a _reputation_ , okay? I can’t just… _give in_ and approve of him too easily. My sister will smell a rat and clam up the moment she realizes I’m… nudging the two of them forward.”

“Nudging? Is that what you’re calling it? Not leading them on with a cattle prod?”

There was a quiet huff. “I’ll see you at 9.”

The dial tone sounded and Gill set the phone on its cradle with a small shake of his head. He turned at his father’s chortle.

“Thank you for the coffee. Is it worth asking why _you_ didn’t answer the phone?” he asked with a wry eyebrow rising.

“No business before 7 a.m. Any true emergency would be sent the Clinic’s way,” Hamilton replied with equanimity.

Gill sighed, both envious and rueful. He knew when he became mayor, he’d never be able to stick to such a rule.

“It seems I’ll be commissioning the Carpenters' to make a new desk for the office. I know we discussed getting it nearer the end of the year, but I won’t be leaving town again any time soon, so why wait?” he told his father after another bracing sip of coffee.

“No, I don’t suppose there’s any reason to wait,” Hamilton said with a knowing and almost smug smirk. Gill’s ears felt impossibly hot and he quickly gulped down more coffee to hide his face behind the mug. “I must get going, now. You don’t keep your young lady waiting,” Hamilton advised with another chuckle as he put on his coat.

Coffee mixed with air on the way down when Gill inhaled too quickly and sharply. “Sh-she’s not- _Father_!” he wheezed and coughed before grabbing a handkerchief to clear his throat behind. “Father, please don’t go running to Mr. Kettles with gossip about ‘the youths’. Ms. Snyder and I are only just becoming reacquainted.”

“Yes, yes, of course, no getting ahead of ourselves and scaring her away,” Hamilton agreed as he bustled away.

“No! That’s not—” The front door slammed just after Hamilton called out a ‘toodle-loo’, and Gill groaned under his breath.

By the time he finished his coffee and started brewing the next cup, Gill’s high blood pressure had dropped. And then, he caught sight of the time. “Oh, Goddess, preserve me,” he gasped. The high blood pressure returned as he rushed towards his bedroom and en suite bathroom.

For the first time in a long time, Gill had to hurry through his morning routine. He even brushed his teeth for only _one_ minute, instead of the recommended _two_ minutes, _and_ he left out using his expensive hair products before and after brushing his hair quickly. That cowlick would be extra defiant today. At least his father had already “tacitly” approved of his late arrival to work today. Perhaps he would have a bit of time after breakfast to deal with his hair properly? Just as his heart beat started to slow and was just finishing his breakfast and wondering if re-wetting his almost dry hair would be worth it, a rather timid knock sounded on the door.

He glanced down in horror at his disheveled appearance— he was still in his house slippers and his cuffs were undone!

“Who in the Tree—?” Gill rushed now towards his front door, convinced that Luna must have sent some other minion in her thrall to drag him even faster to do her bidding.

He threw open the door to see _Evelyn_ standing on his welcome mat and looking startled. Despite his own surprise, he couldn’t help the rush of pleasure seeing her there on his front stoop. He liked the feeling he got in her company; that feeling of mystery and magic and importance, as well as knowing he was _finally_ an active participant in making his home _better_.

“Ms. Evelyn, you were the last person I was expecting. Oh, and Mr. Finn, too? Would you like to come in for some tea?” he offered as he stepped back.

“Do you have any milk?” Finn asked eagerly.

Gill couldn’t help but smile at them both as they came into his home. Nor could he help himself from almost immediately opening the biscuit tin for Finn to take his pick from. He did not purposely wait for Evelyn to look away while putting down her rucksack and dirty boots to open the tin, either. (Though, yes, he may have, and winked slyly at Finn while doing so.)

During their greetings and pleasantries, Gill took in Evelyn’s appearance as discreetly as possible. She might’ve thought she’d snuck successfully away during the fireworks, but, honestly, he’d throw his expensive hair products out if anybody had actually missed her leaving, followed closely by her brother, and later by Luke and Candace, too. She didn’t look quite as fidgety and guilty as she had after that horribly uncomfortable argument with Luke, but her eyes were tired and her laughter was softer than usual. Even her movements were less brisk and energetic. It made him want to sigh and pat her head, and also shake whatever had happened out of her.

By the end of her visit, he wasn’t sure if he was proud of himself for his self-control, or utterly frustrated by not being able to _help more_. Seeing her off smiling and flustered and wearing his mother’s barrettes did help assuage the frustration a little, though. He frowned as he squinted towards whom he was _certain_ was Renee, then shrugged and turned into his house to finish getting ready for his appointment at the Tailor’s. Renee had never been rude on purpose, so perhaps she just hadn’t seen his wave.

* * *

If anyone had asked or made even a slight observation about his pace that morning, Gill would have adamantly _refused_ to say he had _run_ to the Tailor’s. Yes, he may have hastened a bit after glancing at his watch, but he prided himself on punctuality and he was cutting it very fine. The idea of Luna’s disappointment or irritation being directed at him for keeping her waiting had nothing to do with hurrying his pace. The bell over the shop door tinkled when he entered and met Mrs. Sonata’s eyes across the shop.

“Ah, it’s young Mayor Goldstein. Good morning,” Mrs. Sonata said with a smile. Gill was _not_ blushing, though Luna’s entrance interrupted him before he could correct the comment.

“ _There_ you are! What took you so long?” Luna scolded in a terribly unimpressive sotto voce. She grabbed a pair of patent leather loafers that were conveniently sitting nearby on a shelf otherwise occupied by shorts. They were admittedly very nice shoes, but Gill stared at Luna uncomprehendingly when she shoved them into his hands. Then, she shoved him further into the shop. “ _Peruse,_ Goldstein, _naturally_. That loudmouthed gorilla will be here any minute!” she hissed under her breath

“You’ll really need to stop insulting him if you want him to be romantically involved with _your sister_ ,” Gill pointed out, still inexplicably holding onto the shoes. They were in his size, oddly. How did she know his _shoe size_?

“We’ll see when it actually happens,” Luna said dubiously.

“When? Not if?”

“However the cookie crumbles, my plan will work first,” she said that with a lot more confidence and a flip of her hair. Gill smirked and moved towards the socks-and-stockings section. He _was_ holding a pair of shoes, and he cast his eye over the selection to mollify Luna, not because he was going to buy any of it. “What took you so long anyway? You were _almost_ late, and, in my book, that’s the same thing.”

“Normally, I would agree,” Gill said. He frowned at a pair of frivolous jack-o-lantern socks. _500 auree_? “However, I had an unexpected meeting this morning. I’m afraid that business took precedence.”

“You’re not mayor _yet_. Who needs you this early in the morning?” Luna demanded with her fists on her hips.

“Present company not included, sweetheart?” Shelly asked lightly while flipping through a fashion magazine and smiling widely.

Luna scowled as her face heated and clashed with her perfectly coiffed hair. The bell jangled and Gill watched as a sharp and anticipatory smirk crossed Luna’s face, the blush fast faded. He might’ve been terrified for Carpenter if he didn’t know for a fact that that face was all about a _matchmaking scheme_ rather than Luna contemplating eating Carpenter for breakfast.

He was still a little… apprehensive.

They both turned towards the door— Gill for some reason still holding the loafers as well as the pumpkin-socks— as Shelly called a strangely hesitant and pointedly polite ‘hello’. The tone made sense when Luna’s eager smile dropped into lines of annoyance and distaste and Gill was looking at Julius Rosens standing in the doorway. He felt his face freeze into a rictus of blank, business-like politeness as Julius stepped towards them after an uncharacteristically self-conscious pause.

“Good morning to you, too, Shelly,” Julius greeted with a genuine-seeming smile. He even managed to keep that warmth when he flickered a glance over the two younger people in front of him. “And to you two, too. Goldstein, our last meeting did not end well. I’ve been meaning to apologize for my ill-considered words for a while now. I’m truly sorry.” Gill blinked dumbly at the gracious wording and Julius’s honest sincerity.

“Thank you, Mr. Rosens,” Gill said slowly, meeting Julius’s formality with a degree of comfort. Social niceties were something Gill always excelled at and he felt more even-footed in the use of them. “Perhaps our acquaintance will continue on better footing today.” He held out a hand to shake and Julius quickly returned the gesture with a broader smile.

“Okay, great, you got some fancy words in you and looked up how to apologize on the internet. Come back some _other_ day to spout your—” Luna glanced towards the register where Shelly was leveling her with a _look_. She pasted on a wide, obviously false smile and spoke through her teeth, “and spout your fantastically _wonderful_ vernacular at Candace _then_.”

Gill and Julius’s expressions of disbelief were identical, down to the single right eyebrow lift and right-sided smirk. Luna scowled and huffed.

“I don’t want to interrupt your day, Lu- er, Ms. Snyder,” Julius quickly corrected at Luna’s ferocious glare. “I’m just here to speak to Candace, privately.”

“And like _I_ said, come back _tomorrow_ ,” Luna seethed, her hands curling into fists.

“L-Luna,” Candace stammered from the kitchen doorway. Luna’s eyes slipped closed on a sigh and her shoulders slumped. “I’m fine. J-Julius, w-would you like s-some t-tea?”

Julius glanced between a white-lipped but silent Luna and the nervously fidgeting Candace, and then he turned a grateful smile on the latter. “Yes, Candace, I would love some tea. Do you have any of the purple herb? I wouldn’t want to deplete any of the mint.”

Candace’s eyes widened slightly before a tremulous smile spread over her face. “Yes, I have some. The same amount of sugar and milk?” Her voice was so soft it was almost impossible to hear, but it held none of the trembling her hands and lips had.

“I’m honored you remember,” Julius said. The two of them went into the kitchen and Shelly cleared her throat.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to buy those socks, Gill?” she asked. Gill started in place and stared down at his hands. He sighed a moment later.

“Yes, you suppose right…” He reached in his pocket for his wallet as Shelly chuckled. When he turned with new purchases in hand, Luna was pressed against the wall next to the doorjamb, looking outrageously ridiculous trying to sneakily eavesdrop while wearing _bright canary yellow_. She looked stunning in the color, but stealthy it was not. He turned back to Shelly, who just chortled and returned to her magazine. Trying not to sigh or ask the Goddess for help over something so mundane, he made his way to Luna’s side.

She was holding most of her hair back to leave her ear closest to the door free, but she lifted her free hand to press a finger to her lips and hiss a quiet _sh_ in warning. Gill raised an eyebrow, but slunk against the wall and strained to hear the conversation. It was a bit of Castanet history about to come to a final conclusion. Surely his duty was to referee the outcome— if necessary.

“Candace, I think I should get straight to the point,” Julius was saying. Gill did _not_ roll his eyes, but obviously Julius had been dithering if he waited this long to get to the point. Gill had had time to buy _socks_ already.

“It w-would be k-kind on my nerves,” Candace admitted quietly after a slight rattle of porcelain.

“I knew her hanging around that farmer was a good idea,” Luna all but _breathed_ the words in triumph.

Julius chuckled at Candace's comment, but it ended quickly and sounded awkward for such an elegant man. “I made a mistake. No, many mistakes. They were a long time ago, and since I’ve been back, I used the time between then and now as an excuse. And then I used my own guilt as an excuse.”

“E-excuse?”

“To avoid you, and then to pretend like it never happened,” he explained. Candace let out a soft ‘oh’. “I’m _sorry_ for the way I treated you all those years ago. I’m sorry that I expected you to forgive and forget without an apology from me first. I’m also very sorry that… I haven’t been putting your own feelings about my return and my company ahead of my own wishes.”

“J-Julius… I do forgive you. I don’t think I ever h-hated you, or… or b-blamed you,” Candace said fretfully. “I just… I was _ashamed_. I let you d-down. I know what we used to p-promise, and I know you were d-disappointed in m-me.”

Luna’s bristled all over and Gill laid a hand on her arm. She glared at him, blue eyes flashing, and he quickly lifted his hand away in a supplicating gesture.

“My disappointment didn’t give me the right to treat you the way I did, or have been these few months,” there was a soft sigh. A moment later, the sound of cups touching the table came, but neither seemed to take a drink. “I… I loved you, Candace, a part of me still does. I thought we were going to run away together and see all those cities, those fashion runways and boutiques, those elegant and beautiful people, _together_. I was so angry that you would give up such a wonderful life for a—” Julius cut off abruptly and the silence felt heavy.

“A d-d-dead woman.”

“Candace, I would never—”

“You would never s-s-say it, b-but you’re thinking it. You th-think I gave you up, and our d-dreams, f-for my m-mother,” Candace whispered hoarsely.

“Yes. That’s what I thought,” Julius agreed in a quiet, hesitant way. “It’s all right to admit it, Candace. You had every right to grieve however and however _long_ you needed. It was wrong of me to resent you for that.”

“N-no… your r-resentment m-might have b-b-been r-right, but you also thought wr-wrong.” The words were so stuttered and choked and quiet that Gill had to repeat it several times in his head and fill in several blanks on his own. “It wasn’t just my m-mother’s d-death. I… didn’t g-g-g-get the s-scholarship!”

Sobs broke out of Candace and this time Luna reached out to grab Gill’s hand to hold herself back. He jerked in place and looked down to see Luna’s eyes wide with shock and bewilderment. The confession seemed to have taken Luna off guard as well.

“What? But.. you said—”

“I… I l-lied, Julius. I c-couldn’t t-tell you the t-truth.”

“But… you had the grades, and the financial hardship, how could you have lost it?”

“I d-didn’t have the f-f-financial hardship. Wh-when my m-mother was sick, wh-when she knew she w-wouldn’t get b-better, she contacted m-my father,” Candace whispered. “I… I haven’t t-told anyone, n-not even Luna, but my father c-called me when the c-college s-sent the acceptance letter to _him_. M-Mother had been d-dead for y- _years_ and he never _told me_ … I was _his_ d-d-dependant, n-not Gra’mama’s. Gra’mama thought I knew, b-but I didn’t! He was going to p-pay for it, Julius. For every little b-bit. I to-told him I w-wasn’t going.”

Silence reigned.

“So you gave it all up, because you didn’t want your father to pay?” Julius summed up incredulously.

“I was y-young, and… and… I was s-so _sad_ ,” Candace admitted miserably. “And I d-didn’t w-want to l-leave my m-mother’s grave. When you… when y-your teasing b-became so much…”

“When I started being an ass, it was just further proof you made the right decision,” Julius realized. Candace’s muteness was answer enough. “Do you… do you regret staying?”

“S-sometimes. Sometimes I w-wish I could’ve s-seen Paris… or London…” Candace said quietly. “But m-most days? No, I really d-don't. I love the shop, I love helping Gra’mama and Irene at the Clinic, I love my work and my p-projects. I love b-being able to visit Mother. I was most sorry to lose my b-best friend. I loved you so m-much, b-but w-we never w-would’ve made a good couple. M-maybe it’s for the b-best we n-never g-got a chance to try.”

With that, Luna stepped away from the wall and quietly moved towards the register. She veered away at the last second to sit on a stool where Candace often sat and touched the faded green felt and worn smooth wood and the knitting needles still stuck in soft, bright red yarn. Gill stood next to her silently. He waited as long as he could, but when he couldn’t stand her silence any longer, he cleared his throat gently.

She glanced up at him with a tiny smile that didn’t reach her shiny eyes.

“The only time Candace had ever had backbone, and I missed it. She told Father _no_ , and she never told me that. _No one_ tells my father _no_ ,” Luna said with a voice that seemed to quake.

“I find it hard to believe you never did,” Gill tried to tease, though it came out rather mild.

Luna huffed and shook her head. “My father treated me like a pet, spoiled me rotten, really. I had rip-roaring fights with my mother, but Father? Gave me everything I ever wanted. The only thing that kept me from becoming a complete bi—” Shelly cleared her throat and Luna’s eyes rolled upwards. “A complete… _Veruca Salt_ was Candace… and Gra’mama.” She looked to Shelly.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you were definitely a Veruca Salt when you first came to visit,” she said in a faux-comforting voice. Luna gasped, then burst into giggles. They sounded a little hitched and damp, but they were truly amused giggles and it had even Gill smiling. “But you were always a good girl at heart. It was that good nature that helped you as much as us here.”

“It was Auntie Lottie, too,” Luna said quietly. “She always treated me like a second daughter, even though I know just me _existing_ had to be hard for her.”

“She loved you too much to think that, Luna, don’t you ever be thinking otherwise again,” Shelly said fiercely.

Luna got to her feet and ran towards her grandmother so they could embrace each other. The sound of them colliding made Gill wince, but neither seemed to notice. Feeling distinctly uncomfortable again— the Goldstein-Castanet family had never been quite so affectionate— Gill sidled away and wondered if he could escape altogether. Surely Luna’s matchmaking scheme would be on hold today. Before he could make it past the headless dress mannequins, Luna appeared at his shoulder, jumped onto her tiptoes, and grabbed his ear.

“What are you doing?” Gill yelped.

“Me? What are _you_ doing? You still have a job to do!” Luna scolded.

“You think _today_ is a good day for that?” Gill asked incredulously. She sighed in annoyance, but she did let go of his ear.

“I was never planning on today being anything too…” She glanced towards the kitchen. “Anyway, today was about laying the seeds. Cutting the crops comes _later_.”

“... I don’t think you said what you thought you said…” Gill said with some confusion. Luna wrinkled her nose and glared at him with her own confusion. “Besides, it seems as if Carpenter isn’t coming by any time soon.”

“Of course he’s coming! He _built a table_. He’s probably having trouble getting over that bridge. Start perusing again.”

“Ms. Snyder…” Gill started, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Fine. How about you help me design a petition? I’ll need your father’s signature, so your advice on either dazzling him into signing, or bamboozling, would be appreciated … I suppose…” She led him back to the register, lace and ruffles of her dress sweeping past the displays.

“I’m not going to _bamboozle_ my father, Ms. Snyder,” Gill protested as he followed her anyway. She took the paper Shelly handed her and thrust it at Gill without even bothering to comment on his protest. He glanced at it, squinted, then held it further away from his face until he could make it out. Even with it being less blurry, it still made very little sense. “Halloween… costume party?”

“Do you need glasses?” Luna retorted. She paused, looked at him again, and then repeated, “ _Do_ you need glasses? We just got a brand-new shipment of different styles in—”

“I do not need _new_ glasses,” Gill interrupted quickly, trying not to laugh at her swift and unabashed business sense. “Halloween parties have always been the decision of families here, or private affairs. It’s never been a Castanet tradition.”

“Which is a damn shame,” Luna said tartly. “Children should have a chance to dress silly or scary, and go pounding on their neighbors’ doors begging for candy. It’s just unpatriotic that we don’t.”

“Luna… language,” Shelly said on a sigh. At some point, she’d picked up some knitting instead of her magazine.

“Ahem, right,” Luna agreed. “So Sonata is going to offer costumes to Castanet villagers for its first annual Halloween celebrations. We’ll sell some off-the-rack costumes, but for specifically tailored or original ideas, there will be discounts depending on how fast someone orders or how elaborate it is. There will be a family-friendly costume party in the evening, with contests and different prizes. Brass Bar and Ocarina Inn are already on board and put down what they’ll be supplying— there, at the bottom, see? Mr. Brass and Mrs. Taverns signatures.”

“You got their daughters to persuade them, didn’t you?” Gill said in amusement.

“It’s _called_ networking,” Luna replied loftily. “Are you going to help me get this off the ground or not, Mr. Mayor?”

“I’m _not_ the Mayor.”

“As good as. Or better, honestly,” Luna said with a shrug.

“Buttering me up at the expense of my father isn’t exactly a win-win here,” Gill said on a sigh.

The door swung open with a jarring and discordant jangle. Then, the tromp of boots and Luke’s boisterously loud voice had Gill going from heart-attack to irritation in mere seconds. Both Luna and Gill turned and glared in sync as Luke stepped further in with Bo on his heels looking apologetic and embarrassed.

“I brought it! I told you I’d geddit done on time,” Luke said, swinging his arm across his torso with a fistpump. He paused and looked around. “Where’s Candy?”

Which was a moot question as she came running in from the kitchen at that moment, looking flustered and red-eyed.

“Luke? You finished- Already? You didn’t have to work so quickly,” Candace exclaimed in her quiet way.

Luke was grinning as he pivoted towards her, but his welcoming smile froze on his face when he got a good look at her. He was frowning in concern as Luna butted in, somehow looking satisfied underneath her glare when she glanced towards him.

“Of course he should’ve! We paid him to work that quickly,” Luna said. She stomped her foot imperiously while standing in front of him. “Don’t you know how to walk into a door like a gentleman? You’ll bring the whole shop down!”

“Nah, my gramps and pops built this old place. No way it’s comin’ down cuz of _me_ ,” Luke said absently while moving around her like Luna was nothing more than a rock in a stream. “Candy-girl, everything all right?” He reached up to brushed his gloved knuckles over her cheek, just under her still swollen eyes.

“O-oh, I’m f-fine! J-just an em-emotional morning,” Candace hurried to reassure him. She looked even more flustered, her face turning bright red and her hands waving in the air. Her volume was slowly increasing, to Gill’s shock. She never even raised her voice that high when she helped teach the village children; Taylor and Chloe were _nightmares_ when they got bored.

So _that_ explained Luna’s satisfied look.

“Emotional…?” Luke trailed off and looked up as Julius walked out of the kitchen. For a moment, Gill saw a look of suspicion cross Luke’s normally obliviously cheerful face. “Oh. It’s this guy.” Just like that, Luke completely dismissed Julius and put his hands on Candace’s cheeks and squished her face together. She flailed and sputtered. “Your face shouldn’ look like that _ever_ , Candy-girl. Next time you’re feelin’ emotional call me and I’ll get here quicker’n you can blink, got it?”

“What’s… my face? What?” Candace gasped.

“Like you been cryin’ cuz some a-hole’s been an a-hole,” Luke said with that wide, cheery grin on his face. Candace sputtered when Luke squished her face again.

“You keep playing with her like a doll, you’re going to break her,” Julius said mildly which belied the tightness to his mouth and eyes.

“Nah, she’s stronger’n you think she is,” Luke said, not even looking at the other man. “You stay right there, Candy. I’ll go git your new table. You’re gonna love it! It’s _awesome_.”

Candace gasped again, reeling forward when Luke suddenly moved away. She even took a step forward, hands pressing to her chest as her face burned red. She turned to look at Luna, her face dazed and confused, but Luna just smiled blithely and skipped over to the door to hold it open and yell at Bo and Luke to be careful. Julius and Gill stood next to Candace, all three knowing astutely to stay out of the way.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Julius asked with a disdainful glance towards the door.

“No, of course not,” Candace said, smiling.

“Despite how he acts, he knows his strength at least. I’ve never seen him use it against anything not a tree since we were teenagers,” Gill said with a shake of his head at the memory. Candace and Julius looked at him expectantly. “Oh… he and Owen had a very… tumultuous fistfight. I doubt anyone remembers why, but I’ve never seen Luke so ashamed as he did when Dale found out… after finding them both in the Clinic.”

Candace’s eyes widened in remembrance, but Julius hadn’t been in Castanet by then. He pressed a knuckle to his lips, frowning slightly, before turning to Candace.

“Are you sure he’s—” he started to say and Gill felt his palms begin to sweat. Luna wasn’t going to like whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

“Okay, it’s in! Candy, come take a look! And then tell us where t’put it,” Luke called over (to Gill’s immense relief).

“ _I_ can tell you where to put it,” Luna retorted.

“… pretty sure you’re gonna tell me t’put it somewhere it don’ belong,” Luke said slowly with a look of consternation on his face.

“L-Luke! You shouldn’t say that!” Bo hissed.

Gill turned away, his fist pressed over his mouth and his shoulders shaking.

“Oh… _Luke_ ,” Candace gasped, but in a voice of awe. She was gazing at the desk rather than paying attention to Luke and Luna’s sniping, and her hands were hovering over the surface of it reverently. “It’s _perfect_. You… surely this is t-too m-much for me?”

Gill managed to pull himself together to see Candace’s shaking fingers brush over the bright glossy wood. Along the edges was intricately carved filigree, whimsical and curling and twining like unspooling yarn. The knobs on the cabinets and drawers were round and extra glossy, and, when Gill knelt closer to look, under the varnish were intricate snowflakes, each different from the last and somehow delicate. There was a divot in the middle of the desktop with carefully drilled and sanded holes for wires where the sewing machine would sit. Embedded into the surface where her arms would rest was soft yellow felt that looked as squishy and soft as a mousepad. A tall, bendable brass lamp was built into two corners to adjust the lighting how ever she wanted, and their shades were panelled with delicately carved wood in the shapes of snowflakes and snowdrop flowers backed by yellow lantern paper, almost like Chinese lanterns.

“So, you open this cabinet here and you can keep those wooden bobbles the threads go on on these little pegs. And in this deep drawer here, see, look, it’s _actually_ a wicker basket for yarn, or maybe some raw wool or stuff. You use it 'fore it goes through the yarn machine, doncha? Sometimes?”

At Candace’s dazed nod, Luke grinned and pulled open another drawer, the longest shallow one just under the desktop. It was lined with plush white felt, cushioned in weird lumps and crevices inside— similar but not quite like a jewelry box. Along the edges of the felt was a long length of ribbon patterned with snowdrop flowers. The sight made Candace all but cry out and stare at Luna and Shelly with her hands over her mouth.

“Your mother never did make you that dress, but it needn’t have stayed hidden away in the dark,” Shelly said gently, reaching out to take one of Candace’s hand in both of hers.

“I did the sewing for him while you worked at the Clinic. It didn’t take long,” Luna said with a shrug and slight grimace as she hid her hands under her armpits. Gill hadn’t noticed any bandages, so perhaps she was remembering.

“And Mira helped make sure I set it in right, ‘cuz I got the idea from the jewelry shop, yanno? But instead of rings and silly stuff ya don’t need, you can put needles and pins and measurin’ tapes and I can’t remember what all,” Luke said while bouncing back on his heels excitedly.

“We made sure to go over every nook and cranny of the design with Ms. Snyder and Mrs. Sonata. Every inch of it is useful, I promise,” Bo interjected quickly. “It’s made of cedar wood, too, which is good for keeping out bugs and lasting a good long while.”

“Duh, ‘course it is. Only the best for our Candy-girl. I coulda given it a good stainin’, since it comes out a real pretty reddish-brown, but… I thought, _nah_ , it’ll kinda ruin the winter-y look, plus, Candy ain’t a reddish-brown sort,” Luke rubbed the side of his nose with a lopsided and sheepish grin. “You like all these pretty lighter colors.”

“You kn-know my favorite colors?” Candace whisper-squeaked.

“’Course I do. Plus, Luna told me when I asked,” Luke admitted, chuckling.

“I was _about_ to say,” Luna huffed.

Candace blushed deeply before all but tripping forward to tentatively wrap her arms around his waist. His golden eyes went soft as he stared down at her hair. Just as tentative as she had been, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as a flush crept over his cheeks.

“I love it,” Candace said in fervent and shaking voice mostly muffled by his vest. “It’s the best… the best _any_ thing I’ve ever gotten.”

“And it ain’t even your birthday yet. Whattam I gonna do to top it?” Luke joked, half-laughing.

“Oh, no! You couldn’t- I couldn’t take another gift from you so soon!” Candace gasped, pulling away. Or trying to. She somehow ended up trapped in the circle of his arms and staring up at him in a way that probably hurt her neck since he was almost a foot taller. As if reluctantly, Luke let his arms fall away, face still red and pleased.

“You forget, Candy,” Luna interrupted, her own face rather pink at the display, “this _wasn’t_ a gift. It was an investment by Sonata Tailoring to their best and most dedicated worker.”

“G-Gra’mama is surely—” Candace stammered and wrung her hands.

“No, dear, that’s entirely you,” Shelly said.

“So, since you like it, where we puttin’ this thing?” Luke asked.

Candace touched his arm briefly and blushed. “I _love_ it, Luke. All of it is perfect and it’ll make _everything_ so much more convenient. Thank you, _so much_ , for such a wonderful job.”

Luke ducked his head bashfully.

“Her current table is over there in the corner. You’ll have to break it down and move it first. It’s… _collapsible_ ,” Luna said with immense disdain.

“It was on sale,” Shelly said mildly. “Follow me.”

“I got it, Luke. Something collapsible I can get moved on my own. You can get this one on the moving cloth while I do that,” Bo suggested quickly, his eyes darting between him and Candace as a smile flickered at the corners of his mouth.

“Awesome! Teamwork!” Luke said with a fistpump.

A minute later, Luke was spreading out a thick quilted blanket and hoisting the table onto it by one corner, bending down to adjust the quilt, and then going to another corner.

“You know, Candace is right, this is a wonderful job,” Gill started when Luna shot him a look.

“Bo helped out,” Luke said, shrugging. The muscles in his arms pulled taut, but he didn’t even grunt when he lifted half that desk by himself. Luna’s eyebrow slowly slid upwards as she smirked.

“Hm, really? So these etchings along the edges? And these _gorgeous_ hand-made handles? These were Bo’s work?” Luna asked with a very good semblance of surprised interest.

“Uh… no… no, that’s all me. Only time I don’ like to share is when it comes t’carving stuff like this,” Luke admitted.

“It’s art,” Julius said in a strained voice. Everyone glanced at him and he shrugged. “I studied a lot of different art, not just fashion. The amount of work and stunning detail… it’s still quite novice, but it’s indeed _art_.”

“Ah, jeez, dude. That was actually nice. Pretty sure you didn’ know how to say hello to me without it soundin’ like an insult till now,” Luke said on a laugh.

“Excuse me? I’m perfectly capable of being polite,” Julius said shortly.

Candace began to wring her hands again.

“Sure are,” Luke agreed in a blandly cheerful voice.

“I was wondering, if you don’t have another project, Carpenter,” Gill started again. Luke glanced up at him from where he was making minute adjustments to the blanket. “I _do_ need a new work desk for my home office. You’ve definitely proven yourself capable of the task.”

“That’s _awesome!_ ” Luke jumped to his feet eagerly. “You need a repair or a whole new shebang?”

“A… whole new shebang,” Gill said with a sigh. Luke fistpumped.

“I’ll make you an _awesome_ desk. I’m rarin’ to go! I’m thinkin’ mahogany and marble,” Luke said, hands lifting up in the air as if framing a mental picture.

Luna burst into snickers and Gill pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you even _have_ mahogany and marble?”

“Nah, but it was a nice dream, wasn’t it? How ‘bout a hundred shelves for all them books you carry ‘round?”

“I do _not_ need _one hundred shelves_ built into my desk!”

“It’s as if he doesn’t even want the commission. Are you worried you’ve used up all your good ideas?” Julius said dryly.

Luke just looked at Julius. “Are you ever afraid you’re gonna run outta ways to say shitty things in a ‘polite’ way?”

“If making a desk for me would be a problem…?” Gill interrupted desperately, even going so far as to put his hand on Luke’s shoulder before Julius’s could get words out of his mouth. Luke turned to him again and smirked. Behind him, Luna was looking like Christmas came early and Candace was about two seconds from fainting.

“Nah, man, I was giving ya shit. One _awesome_ table for the Mayor of Castanet is officially on my calendar,” Luke said. He held up his arm and looked at Luna. “Gotta pen?”

“How about I write it on a note for you,” Luna offered with an unimpressed look at his arm.

“I’ll just lose it. It’s cool, Bo’ll help me remember till we get back to the shop.”

“I would like a _normal_ desk for _one_ person who is _not_ the mayor,” Gill corrected.

“ _Boring_ ,” Luke teased, winking at Gill when he groaned in exasperation.

“I’m sure you’re quite good with… freestyle… but surely you can find something in some magazine to help you with a more reasonable request,” Julius suggested.

“We do get magazines and newsletters and stuff since we’re a _business_ and we gotta know the fads,” Luke said. He was still grinning, but the corners of his eyes were pulled tight and his shoulders were stiff. “But we have our own designs t’choose from, Gill. C’mon up to have a look and choose what you like.”

“Thank you,” Gill said in relief.

“What design is mine?” Candace asked quickly.

The stiff set of Luke’s shoulders slumped a little when he looked at her and gave her a real smile, ducking his head a little and rubbing the side of his nose. “Actually, Pops gave me a blank page, Candy-girl. I just thought of what you’d like and went for it. It’s all me, baby.” He gave her a thumbs-up and a wink. “Guess that makes you my muse.”

Candace pressed her hands to her cheeks and sputtered. “Th-that’s… w-what a l-lovely th-thing to say!”

“Mr. Carpenter was real impressed, too,” Bo piped up as he rejoined the group. “He says you bring out the best in Luke. He told me to ask when you’re comin’ ‘round for dinner again?”

“H-He… Mr. Carpenter wants me to come _back_?” she gasped before burying her face in her hands.

“A’ course, he keeps tellin’ Luke-mmph!” Bo flailed under Luke’s hand.

“Never mind that. Just say yes t’dinner,” Luke said, looking red and flustered for once.

“Won’t you be busy with a new commission? It doesn’t bode well for Mr. Goldstein if you care more about impressing Candace than doing an equally good job for him,” Julius drawled derisively.

“I didn’t—” Gill tried to protest. “Julius!” Candace said in dismay. “What are you—” Luna said at the same time. Bo flailed harder under Luke’s hand.

“Hey, man, I geddit. You don’ like me. Tellin’ me I’m good at anything prob’bly ruined your day, but don’ you try and say I can’t do my _job_ ,” Luke said furiously, his eyes narrowed. He let Bo down, who gasped and then squeaked, ‘ _Yeah!_ ’

“You have a _hobby,_ not a job,” Julius retorted. 

“ _You_ —” Luke stepped forward, hands curling into fists. Bo grabbed Luke’s elbow just as Candace stepped between them.

“Julius, Luke is my friend, so p-please d-don’t—” Candace said with her hands twisting in her cardigan.

“Don’t suggest he’s worth your time when he’s basically a block of wood himself,” Julius said while making a cutting motion with his hand and Candace bit her lip as she not quite flinched. Julius froze, hand in midair, and something heartbroken filled his eyes. “Cand—”

“How dare you talk to her like that!” Luna screeched.

“Luke is not a- a block a wood!” Bo shouted.

“This is really... Mr. Rosens, you should _go_ ,” Gill said firmly.

“No, wait, I don’ give a darn about that crap. I know _I’m_ dumb. Don’ you talk to Candy like that!” Luke snarled. “She don’ need you t’start making _her_ feel dumb when she’s finally got a bunch of friends who make her happy!”

“Luke, I-I’m fine,” she whispered, half-turning towards him. Almost immediately his anger was banked and his hands came up to wrap around her arms.

“Ya sure?” he murmured back, huffing through his nose when she nodded.

“No one needed to swoop in and fight her battles until you got here,” Julius interrupted. He reached out to touch Candace’s arm. “Candy, I didn’t mean to do that, I just forgot myself—”

“ _Her name is Candace_ ,” Luke said, while tugging her behind him to meet Julius eye to eye. Despite the years between them and Julius’s natural height and boots, there was barely an inch of difference between them. “You don’ get t’call her that, you motherfudging dipwad.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t curse words,” Gill exhaled.

“I can do better,” Luna growled.

“Fantastic, juvenile name-calling. As expected from the same man-child who needs his father’s _permission_ to so much as chop logs,” Julius hissed. Almost everyone else in the room inhaled sharply.

Luke’s eyes flashing was the only warning before he gripped Julius’s collar in his white-knuckled fist. If half the weight of table barely strained him, Julius's lithe figure was nothing, and the taller older man was wrenched onto his toes. “Say one more damn thing ‘bout my job or my Pops,” Luke seethed.

“Or you’ll use violence? Yes, that’ll prove the point that you’re an _adult_ , won’t it?” Julius sneered as he said it and grabbed Luke’s wrist. “The one smart thing you could do this instant is show her what level you’d be dragging her down to—”

Being shoved roughly away, but not rough enough to put him on his butt, had Julius choking on the rest of the sentence. Luke stood, feet hip-width apart and shoulders heaving.

“I’m sick o’ listenin’ to you,” Luke said in a low, hoarse voice. He turned and slammed out of the shop and every window in the building seemed to rattle.

“I… say…” Shelly said faintly from behind the register.

“I… I’ll be back… to help with the desk,” Bo squeaked before running out after Luke.

Julius swiped a slim finger over his lips and cleared his throat lowly, not meeting Candace’s eye as he began to speak, “I obviously pushed him too far, but—”

SLAP.

Julius stared at Luna and slowly touched his cheek. She was trembling with incoherent rage, tears welling in her eyes and mouth quivering.

“You. Ruin. Everything. Julius. Rosens,” she wheezed out between pants.

“It got beyond my control, but he came in here acting like—”

“My friend,” Candace whispered. She pressed close to Luna’s back and refused to raise her eyes from the ground. “He c-came here acting like my _friend_.”

“This was all uncalled for, Rosens,” Gill added, stepping up to place his hand on Luna’s shoulder. “This is a place of _business_ and your behavior was abominable.”

“You got Candace’s apology, she _forgave_ you, Goddess knows why, and all you did was prove her faith in you wrong, _again_ ,” Luna snarled. “So _go_ , Rosens. Get out.”

“Candace…” Julius tried to entreat. “I was… I just think you deserve better.”

“You… always do,” Candace agreed with a little nod. “I h-have to go.” She turned and ran out the door, not even bothering to change out of her indoor slippers.

“Candace!”

“I believe my granddaughter told you you are not welcome here, Julius,” Shelly said, finally coming around to the front. Julius’s mouth tightened, but he nodded and went towards the door. “You leave my other granddaughter be. She’s had enough of your… good intentions today.”

Julius froze for a mere second, then continued out the door. When the bell jangled for the last time, Shelly propped her fists on her hips and shook her head.

“Now, this _has_ been a morning. Let’s make sure there’s tea ready for your sister when she comes back.”

“Y-You’re not mad?” Luna asked in a tiny voice.

“Honey, I ain’t never been prouder. Sometimes, being professional just don’t matter. Some people just need a good slap to the face.”

Luna and Gill broke into awkward laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, my friend Royce, for another last minute beta during your own hectic schedule! 
> 
> I keep trying to make Julius redeemable, hopefully y'all don't completely hate him, or hopefully, I haven't completely demonized him unfairly. I swear he has a redemption arc of a sort coming. (FINALLY him and his would be love interest will have their first event. We'll see how the dynamic works out. I have a Plan B for him if it doesn't LOL)
> 
> Also, just wanna apologize for Ludace once again usurping a timestamp, but I HAVE been planning this scene for moooonths, if not years! Luke was supposed to punch him, but he's a #goodboi, dammit. Thank goodness for Luna. I need to make more room for Tovie (and also Kathy/Renee or Owen/Chase. lowkey faves, amirite?)


End file.
